Reflections | GOD'S FORGIVENESS

Msgr. Don explains how sin causes a separation from God and how the power to forgive can keep us connected.

Good morning. One of the things about sin, which means missing the mark, which means making a mistake, is that it can't be something that we get rid of in our life. If somebody decides I'm going to get rid of all sin, they're going to experience something that is really negative, and that is they're not going to grow. They're not going to change. They're not going to develop. 

Can you imagine a coach that is teaching a person how to play basketball, but if any of the balls don't go in, then they're punished and they're separated and thrown off the team. Impossible. But yet we have a relationship with God that's somewhat like that.

We think that when we make a mistake, that that is a separating force that keeps us from God. Why is that? Unless someone has taught us something about God, that isn't true. What is God's response to sin? Compassion. Empathy. A longing to do something for that person, to comfort them in their pain, but most especially to transform them through that experience.

That's what God's response to sin is because He is forgiveness. He doesn't forgive some things and punish other people for other things by punishment. There is no punishment coming from God for sin. The punishment is in the sin itself. You do something negative and there's a negative energy out there that comes back to you and can make things very unpleasant.

I don't believe that God is interested in punishing you for your sins. He's interested in forgiving you for your sins because forgiveness is a healing force that comes in, most especially to reunite you to yourself because there's self-hatred in sin to God. Because God wants nothing more than for you to be open to His healing grace. 

So watch out. Watch out for sin. Because if you don't balance your sin with the awesome forgiveness of God, you're going to find yourself drifting further and further away. Further apart. Nothing could be more sad and nothing could be more dangerous. 

Have a safe day.

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Kyle CrossComment